Car supporting means



Dec *17, 1935- E. J. sATTLl-:R 2,024,603

CAR SUPPORTING MEANS Filed Feb. 27, 1955 Fly] E JJalller Patented Dec. 17, 19? 5` IPATENT OFFICE CAR sUPPoRTmG MEANS Edward J. samer, Mineral city, ohio Application February 27, 1935, serial No. 8,494

i 10 claims* (C1. 10s-4) The invention relates generally to car sup-V porting l means, and more particularly to supporting means for carrying the load of two cars joined together at their ends, at the joint thereof.

Recent developments have provided high speed y articulated trains for passenger service in which a single truck supports the adjoining ends of the cars, thereby substantially reducing the number of supporting trucks required. These trains vare flexible laterally at theirjoints but not longitudinally, and the cars are not adapted to be uncoupled in use because there is no means of supporting the uncoupled end of each car.

Accordingly, when it is desired or becomes necesary to uncouple one or' more of the cars of such trains, the uncoupling operation is slow and difficult requiring much time and labor, and is `best performed in a repair shop because one end of each car must be jacked up or otherwise additionally supported when the car is uncoupled, and in such case, the temporary supporting means do not permit movement of the car.

Therefore, such articulated trains are 'notl adapted nor intended for freight service where .conditions require frequent coupling and uncoupiing of the individual cars of a train, nor for passenger service whenever it is necessary to change the equipment in the train byadding or removing cars at or between terminals.

My invention provides means in a train of the articulated. type for quickly and easily coupling and supporting the cars at any time or place, as

is now the case .with conventionaltype cars, such means being an integral part of the cars.

Moreover, the cars of a freight train must necessarilyhave draft means permitting some longitudinal movement of the cars'relative to each. other, in order that the available motive power is suiiicient to start, a. relatively long train by imparting initial movement to the cars successively. In high speed articulated trains wherein the individual cars have no movement longitudinally relative to each other, the length of the' train is greatly limited because the availabley motive power must impart starting movement to the whole train as a unit, the desired result being to produce a solid or longitudinally unyielding train of cars,

Ameans for supporting the uncoupled en d of a can.

but the auxiliary supporting means do not 1cooperate with the main supporting means when the cars are in coupled position, but either are connection.

mayA cause serious damage or even disastrous 104 results. i

My construction provides means for distributing or equalizing the load to all main and auxiliary supports, which load -must be substantially constant under all conditions of track irregularities.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide improved car supporting means at the joined ends of two connected cars, `which means will permit uncoupling of the cars.

Another object is to provide auxiliary support- 20 ing means adjacent the main supporting means at the joint of two coupled cars, for cooperating with the main supporting means to support the load of the cars in coupled position.

A further object is to provide auxiliary sup-n porting means for each -car' of a train of the articulated type, which means provides for un-l coupling of the cars and for automatic coupling of the cars when they are moved together for Another object is to provide improved car-support means at the joined ends of two connected cars, including means for permitting relative longitudinal movement of the cars in coupled position.l

A still further object is to provide auxiliary supporting means for cars having a single main support at their joined ends, said auxiliary means being adapted to support one end of a car in uncoupled position and to cooperate with the 40 main support for carrying part of the load of said car in coupled position.

And'nally, it is\ an object of the present invention to embody all of the foregoing advantageous features in a relatively simple and inexpensive construction, which is adapted for u'se in passenger service, as well as in meeting the requirements of rquick and easy coupling and uncoupling of individual cars in freight service, and which in'- volves a minimum of manufacturing and maintenance cost.

The improvements comprising the present invention accomplish all of the foregoing and other objects in the means shown in the drawing and described in the following specication.

The present invention may be described in general terms as including, in combination with a main truck for supporting two connected cars at the joint thereof, an auxiliary support under the adjacent end of one of the cars, a load distributing member pivotally connected with said adjacent car end and connected at one end to said auxiliary support, the other end of said load distributingy member being adapted to rest on the main support when the cars are in coupled position so. that.the load of said one `car is distributed be tween the main support and the auxiliary support, the end of said load distributing member connected to the auxiliary support being adapted to form a rigid connection between the auxiliary support and the said car in uncoupled position, and a guide on the main support' adapted to be movably engaged by the free end of said load distributing member when the cars .are moved toward or away from each other, for transferring part of the load of said one car to or from the main support.

Referring to the drawing forming part hereof Figure 1 is a fragmentary plan sectional view of the joined ends of two connected railway cars carried by my improved supporting means, the main `supporting truck being shown in dot-dash lines;

Fig. 2is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on line 2-2, Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view substantially on line 3 3, Fig. 2, showing the auxiliary support in elevation; and

Fig. 4 isa transverse vieW'taken on line 4-4, Fig. 1, showing a preferred form of coupling means. y

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawing.

While I have illustrated and described my invention as applied to railway cars, the invention is equally well adapted for use in any vehicle trailer construction where at least two cars or units arc joined together and supported at or near the joint.

The improved car supporting means is shown in the drawing as supporting the joined ends of two railway cars indicated generally at I8 and I'I. The under-frame work of each car preferably includes sill members I2 extending longitudinally of the car, a platform I3 being connected to the sill 1 members at one end of the car, and a platform I 4 being connected to the sill members at the other end of the car. Thus, the p atform I3 of the car I0 is adjacent to the platfon I4 of car II.

The platform I3 is' provided at its central portion laterally of car I0 with an enlarged portion .I 5

having an upwardly open depression or socket I6, U-shaped in cross section, formed therein, and the socket I8 preferably has the bottom wall I'I, side walls I8 and end wallr I9. A joint portion 20 depends from bottom wall I1 and has a swiveled connection with a joint portion 2| located at the center of the main supporting truck indicated generally at 22, which may be a four wheel truck A of standard construction shown somewhat dia- 'grammatically in the drawing and having 'the wheels 23 rolling on the track rails R.

Thus, the entire load of the end of car I'adjacent to car I I is carried by the main truck 22, and the joint portion 2I of the truck is located between the adjacent ends of cars I0 and-I I and under the socket I6 of platform I3.

Preferably, the upper surface of bottom Wall I1 of socket I6 has a flat horizontal portion 24 directly over the joint, andthebottom wall I1 has a downwardly inclined portion 25 or guide projecting from the surface 24 toward and preferably extending slightly under the adjacent end of car I I, for a purpose to be hereinafter described.

The end of each car, having the platform I4 thereon, as represented by the end of car II in the drawing, is provided with improved auxiliary supporting means which preferably includes a load distributing member or lever bar 21 fulcrumed or pivoted intermediate its ends upon the sill members I2 of car II-at points adjacent to the platform I4.

Preferably, the bar 21 is provided intermediate its ends with a bore 28 extending laterally therethrough, which bore is preferably enlarged or tapered gradually from its center laterally out- Ward to each end of the bore. A shaft 29 passes through the bore 28, and the bar 21 is journalled thereon, being normally journalled thereon at the center laterally of the bar, that is, at the smallest diameter of the bore. Various f'or'ms of draft means may be provided for permitting longitudinal movement of the cars relative to each other. In the form shown in the A drawing, the ends of the shaft 29 extend through laterally opposite longitudinally extending slots 38 in the sill members I2 for permitting longitudinal movement of the shaft 29 in the sill members.

Preferably, the outer ends of the shaft 29 have square collars 3| secured thereon for abutting the outer'surfaces of the sills I 2. Means for yielding ly resisting longitudinal movement of thc shaft in the sills I2 in either direction may include springs 32 interposed between the collars 3| and the platform I 4, and springs 33 interposed between the collars 3| and angle members 34 secured to each sill member at the opposite side of the-shaft 29. The springs may have centering means such as the pins 35 and 36 secured to and extending in longitudinally opposite directions from the collars 3|, and received respectively in apertures 31 in the platform I4, and in ,suitable apertures in the adjacent spring abutting angle members 34.

The end portion of bar 21 extends under a raised portion 4I of platform I4 and is adapted to enter the socket I8 in platform I3. A roller 42 is journalled in the underside of end portion '40 for rolling upon the upper surface of the bottom wall I1 of the socket, and a roller 43 is yieldingly mounted on the end of the bar by means of springs indicated at 44, for abutting the inner surface of end wall I9 of the'socket. Thev other end portion 46 of bar 21 extends under car II and toward the far end thereof, and is preferably downwardly inclined from the shaft 29.

The end of portion 48 may be provided with a yoke 41 adapted to t around the squared portion 48 of axle housing 49 of a two wheel truck indicated generally at 50. and having wheels 5I rolling upon the rails R and carried by thel axle 5Ia. Thus the bar 21, being movable on its pivot, forms a movable mounting or connection for car II on the auxiliary truck 50, and distributes the load of the end of car II between the main 'sup'- port and the auxiliary support when the cars are in coupled position.

Preferably, spring means indicated at 52 is inf terposed between the squared portion 48 of the axle housing and the upper wall of the yoke 41 for yieldingly resisting upward movement of the axle l housing in the yoke 41, and the squared portion 48 is provided with studs 53 which are slidable in slots 54 in the yoke for permitting said movement.

Preferably, the bottom ends of the yoke are porting truck '22 and the auxiliary truck 58. TheA proportion of the load of car I'I which is carried by the auxiliary truck 58 depends entirely upon the lengths of the lever arms, or in other wordsl upon the relative distances between shaft 29 and roller 42 and between shaft 29 and axle 5I of auxiliary truck 50. As shownin Figs. l and 2 the distancebetween the shaft 29 and the auxl il upon the auxiliary truck, the wheels thereof `greater safety and efficiency in operation than where an auxiliary truck is arranged to idle on the rails, that is, toA rollably engage the same without supporting any load.

Various forms of coupling means may be pro- I vided for maintaining the cars in the connected position shown in Figs. 1 and 2. I have shown a preferred form including a lever 60 pivotally connected to the platform I3 at oneI side of the socket I6 as at 6I and arranged to drop behind the upwardly projecting lug 62 on the end portion 46 of the bar 21 forrholding the bar 21 and hence the car II in coupled position with car Ill.

Preferably, a strengthening or back-up bar 63 is secured to platform I3 at the side of lever 60 toward car II." 'Ihe back-up bar 63 has a raised portion 64 at its central portion for permitting the lug 62 to pass thereunder during coupling and uncoupling of the cars.

Atthe opposite side of the socket from the pivot 6I the back-up bar 63 is provided with an upwardly extending arm 65 having an angular flange 66 at its upper end.

A -spring 61 is,.preferably interposed between the flange 66 and the lever 6U for urging the lever 60 toward the coupled position behind the lug 6'2 as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Preferably, a spring pressed latch 68 is connected to the handle 69 of lever 60 and adapted to enter notches in the upright arm 65 for holding the lever 66 in position to engage behind lug 62 or in raised position to permit uncoupling of the cars, and the latch is adapted to be held in released position by means of a ring 69a on handle 69.

Preferably, a supporting plateor bolster 10 is secured upon and extends laterally of the underside of car vII for supporting the same upon the auxiliary truck when said car is uncoupled. 'I'he upper wall of yoke 41 may have a ball 1I rollably mounted thereon for bearing upon the concave undersurface 12 of the bolster 10 when the cars are uncoupled. The surface 12 is concaved laterally so as to always tend to maintain the ball 1I at the center of car II and yet permit swinging of the car II upon the auxiliary truck. 'Ihe bolster is provided with a downwardly projecting lug 14 at each side of concaved surface 12 for limiting the relative lateral movement of the car.

Whenit is desired to uncouple the Acar II from car I8, the coupling lever 60 is first manually raised against spring 61 to the dot-dash line position`in Fig. 4, to permit the cars to be moved apart longitudinally. As the cars are moved apart the roller 42 will roll down the inclined portion orfguide 25, and when the dot-dash position of Fig. 2 is reached the ball 1I will abut the bolster 10 to transfer all of the load of the adjacent end of car II onto the auxiliary truck beforethe roller leaves the inclined projection 25.

When the cars aremoved together for automatic coupling, the roller 42 strikes the downwardly inclined portion 25 of platform I3 in the.

manner shown in the dot-dash position of Fig. 2, and then as the cars move further toward each other the b ar 21 acts as a lever to raise the adjacent end of car II until the upwardly projecting lug 62 on bar 21 passes under raised portion 64 of back-up bar 63 and the forward inclined surface of lug 62 wedgably engages the lever to raise the same against the spring 61, the latch 68 having been previously released, after which the lever 60, urged by spring 61, will vdrop behind the projection 62 to prevent uncoupling of the cars. The shock of the impact between car II and car Ill is taken by the springs 46 when the roller 43 strikes the end wall I9,vand the springs 44 act to hold the lug 6 2 in abutment with lever 60 when the cars are in coupled position.

As best shown in Fig. 1 the sides of the lever bar 21 are tapered inwardly from the bore 28 to- Ward both ends of the bar to permit' lateral swinging of the car II relative to the bar as the car travels around curves, the taper of the bore 28 being adapted to allow such movement.

Likewise, the sides of the end portion 48 of the bar 21 are preferably convexly rounded both longitudinally and vertically, and the inner surfaces of side walls I8 of socket 'I 6 are also rounded longitudinally and vertically, so as to permit lateral swinging of or rocking of car IIIl relative to bar '21 land always maintain point contact between the sides of the socket and the bar. Preferably,

the roller 42 has its rolling surface roundedvlati erally for permitting easy rocking of the car I0 relative to the bar.

The improved car supporting means provides 'for improved riding qualities when the cars are coupled due to the fact that the cars are supported at their ends providing greatly increased length of wheel base, and yet provides. for readily and easily coupling anduncoupling the cars at any time and at substantially any location.

Also, the cars may be made capable ofslongitudinal movement relative to each other when coupled, so that if desired the improved support- The improved car supporting means provides for constructing a train having the advantages of the articulated type, with the additional advantages of being able to quickly and easily uncouple and automatically couple the cars by moving them toward or away from each other.

I claim:

1. In combination with a car adapted at one end to be detachably joined to another vehicle having main supporting means at said joint, an auxiliary support for said car, said auxiliary support being adapted to support said car end in uncoupled position, and means movably mounting said car on said auxiliary support for distributing the load of said car end between the main supporting means and the auxiliary support when the cars are in coupled position.

2. In combination with a car adapted at one end to be detachably joined to another vehicle having main supporting means at said joint, an

auxiliary support for Said car, said auxiliary support being adapted to support said car end in uncoupled position, and a load distributing member movably mounting said car on said auxiliary f support for distributing the load of said car becoupled position, and a load distributing member movably mounting said car on vsaid auxiliary support for distributing the load of said car between the main supporting means and the auxiliary support when the cars are in coupledposition, and for transmitting all of the load of said car to the auxiliary support when the cars are in uncoupled position.

4. In combination with a car adapted at one end to be detachably joined to anotherV vehicle having main supporting means at said joint, an auxiliary support on said car, said auxiliary support being adapted to support said car end in uncoupled position, and a load distributing member pivoted on the car and having one end connected to the auxiliary support and thev other end carried by the main supporting means in coupled position for distributing the load of said car between the main supporting means and the auxiliary support.

5. In combination with a car adapted at one end to be detachablyfjoined to another vehicle having main supporting means at said joint, an auxiliary support on said car, said auxiliary support being adapted to support said car end in uncoupled position, and a load distributing meml ber pivoted on the car and having one end connected to the auxiliary support and the other end carried by the main supporting means in coupled position for distributing the load of said car between the main supporting means and the auxiliary support, the end of said load distributing' member connected to the auxiliary support forming a connection between said support and said car in uncoupled position.

6. In combination with a car adapted at one end to be detachably joined to another vehicle having main supporting means at said joint, an auxiliary support on said car, said auxiliary support being adapted, to support said car end in uncoupled position, a load distributing member pivoted on the car and having one end connected to the auxiliary support and the other end carried by the main supporting means in coupled position for distributing the load of said car be- 5 tween the main supporting means and the auxillary support, and a guide on the main supporting means for being movably engaged by the free end of the load distributing member as the car is moved toward oraway from the vehicle for transferring part of the load of the car to or from the main supporting means.

7. In combination with a car adapted at on end to be detachably joinedlto another vehicle having' main supporting means at saidjoint, an 15 auxiliary support on said car, said auxiliary support being adapted to support said car end in uncoupled position, a load distributing member pivoted on the'car and having one end connected toy the auxiliary support and the other end carried by the main supporting means in coupled position, for distributing the load of said car between the main supporting means and the auxiliary support, a guide on the main supporting means for the load distributing member to the vehicle V when the free end of the load distributing member is carried by the main supporting means. 8. In combination with a car adapted at one end to be `joined to another vehicle having main supporting means at said joint, an auxiliary support for said car adjacent the end thereof to be joined to said vehicle, a load distributing member having a portion forming a supporting connection between the auxiliary support and said car in uncoupled position, said load distributing 40 member being arranged to distribute the load of said car between the main supporting means and the auxiliary support when the car is in coupled position, and means for holding the car and vehicle in coupled position. 9. In combination with a car adapted at one end to be joined to another vehicle having main supporting means at said joint, an auxiliary sup-v port for said car adjacent the end thereof to be joined to said vehicle, a load distributing member having a portion forming aA supporting connection between the auxiliary support and said car in uncoupled position, said load distributing member being arranged to distribute the load of said car between the main supporting means and the auxiliary support when the car is in coupled position, means for holding the car and vehicle inn coupled position, and means permitting slight longitudinal movement of the car relative to the vehicle in coupled position. 60 10. In combination with a car adapted at one end to be detachably joined to another vehicle having main supporting means at the joint, anauxiliary support on said car adapted to support said car end in uncoupled position, a load i'i` distributing member having a longitudinally slidable pivotal connection with said car, and vmeans limiting the longitudinal movement of said car relative to said member, said member having one end connected to said auxiliary support and the other end carried by the main supportingvm'eans in coupled position. A

` r EDWARD J. SA'I'I'LER. 

